The invention relates to the field of computer aided design (CAD). More specifically, the invention relates to graphing motion of CAD geometry.
Computer aided design (CAD) programs have allowed users to design various parts in xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d space before the parts ever reach a manufacturing stage. As CAD programs have become more powerful, parts modeled in xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d space (i.e., CAD models) have become more true to life. For example, a complex machine, such as, a loader, (commonly seen loading and moving material with its bucket attached to the front) can now be fully designed and assembled in xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d space as CAD models, down to the smallest details.
Because of the costs associated with manufacturing complex machines, engineering design information regarding such machines is important to ascertain before manufacturing begins. Examples of engineering design information may include information regarding motion of the machine, loads and stresses on such components during the operation of the machine, and so forth. In order to determine these types of engineering design information, often times it is important to determine the motion of the machine and its components. For instance, angles and ranges of motion can affect the design information of the machine, i.e., stresses and forces experienced by the machine and its components.
Determining the motion of a machine often times involves extensive geometry calculations on numerous components of the machine. Such calculations can be very time consuming and difficult as the complexity of the motion of the components increases, when, for instance, the motion is not restricted to a single plane but includes motion both up and down and side to side.
Once the geometry calculations are completed, the motion of the machines is often charted/graphed manually to visually represent the calculated motion. However, the charted/graphed motion is only as good as the calculations. That is, a manual charting/graphing of extensive geometry calculations is prone to error. Finally, once the motion of the machine is charted/graphed, engineering design information is manually calculated by ascertaining information from the manually charted/graphed motion. Each of these manual steps is time consuming and prone to error due to the extensive calculations.